The field of this invention is "oral compositions" which term is used herein to designate products which in the ordinary course of usage are retained in the oral cavity for a time and in a manner sufficient to contact essentially all of the dental surfaces, but are not intentionally ingested. Such products include, for example, dentifrices, mouthwashes, prophylaxis pastes and topical solutions.
The bis-biguanide compounds of this invention are known, having been disclosed in U.S. Pat. 2,684,924, Rose et al., patented July 27, 1954; U.S. Pat. 2,990,425, Senior et al., patented June 27, 1961; U.S. Pat. 2,830,006, Burtwell et al., patented Apr. 8, 1958; and U.S. Pat. 2,863,019, Burtwell et al., patented Dec. 9, 1958. All of said patents are incorporated herein by reference. The anti-plaque activity of the bis-biguanides is known.